The air was thick with tension as Lillia and I pressed deeper into the dungeon, the flickering blue runes casting eerie shadows that danced along the stone walls. Each echo of our footsteps felt like a countdown, urging us forward through the darkness. “Stay close,” Lillia murmured, her eyes scanning the gloom. “This place is crawling with traps.” I nodded, my heart racing, still haunted by the memory of the Fur summoner and her terrifying abilities.
The scent of her fur lingered in the air, unfortunately familiar and deeply unsettling. The walls were covered in strange runes pulsing with a dark energy that whispered of danger. I really hoped they were just reinforcement runes. One thing was for sure, this wasn’t the dungeon I had thought it was going to be.
As we advanced, I noticed the corridor ahead narrowed, the walls coated in thick fur. I looked up and saw that the fur covered the ceiling as well. It wasn’t on the floor mercifully, but that could change in an instant where traps were involved. A sinking feeling gripped my stomach. “Lillia,” I said, my voice low, “there’s something off about that.”
“Fur traps,” she confirmed, her gaze sharp. “They’re designed to ensnare and immobilize. We need to be careful.” Together, we approached cautiously. The fur glistened in the dim light, an inviting facade that concealed its true danger. I almost wanted to touch it. To feel the softness… ‘N0.’ I shook my head, trying to shake off whatever mental effect the fur was imbued with.
Lillia extended her hand, her dagger ready, as she carefully inspected the strands, seeking a way to disarm the trap. “Can you sense any magic?” I asked, feeling my pulse quicken as the air shimmered slightly. “Not until we’re closer,” she replied, her voice steady. “Stay alert.” We crept forward, and as we reached the threshold of the fur-lined corridor, I could practically feel the magic filling the air as Runes lit up across the fur. I recognised a few of them from the Enchanted blanket Aria had given me, the trapped one, although these runes looked significantly more complicated and more intricate. I could guess what was about to happen.
Just then, the fur sprang to life—a sheet of it unfurling from the ceiling, curling around us like a serpent. “Get back!” Lillia shouted, but it was too late. The enchanted fur descended, clinging to us and snaking around our limbs with the unyielding grip of a predator's coils, tightening until every movement was smothered. I gasped, struggling against the grip that sought to consume me.
The fur was not just a binding; it almost felt alive, pulsating against my skin, the fibres tickling softly as they wound around my limbs. It seemed to sense my movements, tightening around my wrists, pulling my arms closer to my body. Panic surged through me as I felt the magical fibres weaving in and out of themselves, constructing an impenetrable cocoon that left no room for escape. “Charlotte!” Lillia cried; her entire body caught in the web of fur that now encased us both.
“We have to fight it! Use your hair!” With desperation clawing at me, I reached for my hair, calling upon my abilities. I activated all of my passives at once, except enticing hair as I felt that it wouldn’t do much. I activated Tress Bind. I felt the drain on my Qi and I concentrated harder, feeling the Qi flow through my hair as I commanded it to wrap around the fur, pulling and tugging against its hold. The two opposing forces clashed in a battle of magic, strands of fur entwined with my hair, the tension mounting with every desperate push.
The fur continued to tighten, almost as if it were alive, pressing against my body, making it hard to breathe. The fibres dug into my skin, not enough to draw blood, but enough to send jolts of panic through me. “Lillia!” I gasped, my voice trembling. “It’s getting worse!” “Come on, Charlotte!” Lillia encouraged, her voice unwavering despite the pressure. “We can break free!” With a final surge of determination, I ripped more Qi from my core, sending it rushing through my hair. My hair began to thicken and strengthen, the strands coiling tighter around the enchanted fur, counteracting its grip. I could feel the fur beginning to weaken as my hair exerted its strength, sapping the energy from the trap. The magic surrounding us flickered, and with a triumphant shout, I pulled away, my hair cutting through the fur that held us captive. We stumbled back, panting and wide-eyed, the enchanted sheet of fur collapsing to the ground like a defeated foe.
“Let’s keep moving!” Lillia urged, glancing nervously around the corridor. We pressed onward, our hearts pounding from the encounter. However, the corridor twisted ahead, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that we were far from safe. “Wait,” Lillia said suddenly, halting. She knelt, her fingers brushing against the stone floor. “There’s something else here. I can feel it.” A shiver ran down my spine as I turned to look where she pointed. A low rumble echoed through the walls, and without warning, the ground beneath us shifted. “Get back!” Lillia shouted as the floor split open, revealing a pit lined with spiked fur. The deadly strands coiled and twisted, reaching upward as if eager to ensnare anything that fell within.
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“Jump!” I yelled, launching myself across just as Lillia leaped, her agility propelling her clear of the pit. We landed safely on the solid ground beyond, breathless but alive. “That was too close,” I gasped, my heart racing. But we had no time to rest. Ahead lay another corridor, darker and more foreboding than the last. This time even the floor was covered with the fur. The walls pulsed with a sense of foreboding, and as we approached, I could make out the Runes on the walls. They were practically coated with them, even looking at the runes made my head hurt. They were far more complicated than the last corridor’s. “This must be the last of them,” Lillia said, glancing around warily. “We need to tread carefully.” We padded forward, and as we reached the centre of the corridor, a massive sheet of fur unfurled from above, falling toward us like a curtain of shadows.
“Not again!” I cried, but Lillia was already reacting, diving to the side as the fur enveloped us. This time t would be only me who got caught, Lillia slipping just out of the way. I was not so lucky. It wrapped tightly around my body, its texture warm yet suffocating, constricting my movements with a relentless grip. The magical fibres wound firmly around my torso and limbs, threading through my hair and forming an intricate, inescapable web. I felt a steady pull downward as the strands tightened with unyielding insistence, pressing close against my clothes and skin. The fur wrapped around my head, veiling my vision and softly drowning out the sounds of the world around me, holding me captive in a cocoon of quiet restraint.
“Charlotte!” Lillia’s voice was muffled, desperate. “Fight it! Use your hair!” With sheer anger, I summoned my hair again, feeling the familiar rush of power surging through me. I screamed in rage and pulled on my abilities, activating them with a thought. I yanked Qi through my channels, feeling a burning sensation at having to stress out my worn channels so soon after I last did so. This had better work “Hair Noose!” I shouted, forcing my hair to wrap around the oppressive sheet of fur, squeezing with all my might.
The two forces battled in a frantic dance, the enchanted fur squeezing tighter while my hair fought back, intertwining and clawing through the magical threads. The air practically crackled with energy as the two elements clashed, my heart pounding in time with the struggle. “With a primal scream, I pushed harder, summoning every ounce of strength I could muster. My hair surged forth, and with one final effort, I channelled even more of my Qi through it, willing it to cut through the fur that bound me. The magical grip faltered, the sheet of fur twitching as my hair broke through its defences. In a triumphant sweep, I pulled my hair back, ripping through the enchanted faux fur. The sheet of faux fur fell to the ground In strips.
I sagged, the feeling of my overused channels sending a searing pain through my entire body as the adrenaline faded. I wasn’t going to be much use in a fight for… quite a while. I’d never hurt my channels like this before. I looked at my Exp and saw that I could Tier Up. I had enough…
However, I had no idea what would happen when I Tiered Up. Would it rip my already battled channels apart? Would it fix them? How long would it take? I knew nothing. I really didn’t want to get captured by her again so I wasn’t sure I wanted to risk it. Comfy as it was, I much preferred to be the one tying people up than getting wrapped up so completely myself. ‘Hmmmmm… It really was quite soft. I almost wanted to get a part of her magic myself…. Perhaps I could? I had heard that there were ways to get other people’s magic, especially if they were a dungeon creature. However, you did need a very special object to capture the magic. Awwwwwww, what was it called again? A slurper? No that couldn’t be right. ‘
Whatever the case, I didn’t have one, although it was possible the dungeon just straight up gave me an orb filled with her magic as a reward if killed her. I doubted that would happen. Dungeon creatures had a far easier time in that regard. They could choose to take another dungeon creatures magic if they killed them.
‘I may as well Tier Up’ I thought to myself. Even if she captured me while I was Tiering Up it was better than going on as I was, weak and unable to even use Qi properly. I told Lillia what I was doing and pressed the button on my status with a push of a mental finger.
I felt my body raise into the air and my muscles went limp. I consciousness faded as I felt a scorching pain radiate from my core as more Qi filled it from outside? Within? I wasn’t sure but my vision started to go, sensation next before the rest of the world faded and I blacked out.